An Open Book
by Meian-Rose
Summary: Punky Arthur stumbled upon mysterious Alfred F. Jones' beloved notebook. The one he was always, always writing in. What was written inside may have almost been as interesting as the boy on the outside.. Well, regardless, Arthur was going to have a good read and unravel this boy. (Us/Uk) Warnings: Depressed!Alfred; OOCness; Trigger warning, intense situations, self harm, etc..
1. Chapter 1

**WARNINGS: Seriously, read this or I'll punch you (with a pillow of course). **

** Triggers, very delicate situations, sensitive subjects, fragile/depressed/abused!Alfred, extreme OOCness, Punk!Arthur (which I'm in love with) and maybe an OC or two? I dunno, I don't really want to make a Hetalia character the bad guy per say, I just need someone who really fits the role of a bully and I don't like making Russia the bad guy, I really don't, I'm sorry. I thought of the bad touch trio for a while but I think they're just a bunch of softies. Anyway, enjoy, please no flames, I'll explain why I wrote this at the bottom.**

* * *

There were a very few things that Arthur ever really allowed himself to notice about Alfred F. Jones, the _foreign_ exchange student from the U.S. who transferred to London sometime mid-summer. He knew a very little bit as well, as he was a seemingly mysterious student..

Though, even thus, everyone knew about his hero complex. Every once in a while he was caught with a marvel magazine or giving his identical twin brother an earful of super/non-super hero related topics over the phone during lunch period, when he wasn't busy with whatever else he'd managed to occupy himself with.

He knew that Alfred didn't have many friends, though he wasn't sure why. Alfred seemed pretty lively..Lively enough for Arthur anyway. The boy looked a bit pale, probably due to the lack of sun in London, and he always hid a fair amount of skin under his brown bomber jacket. He wore glasses, he enjoyed ice cream, and he had blue eyes as crystalline as the sky.

Though, those were only a few interesting aspects of his life..The most peculiar..Well, that was probably the little black notebook he was always writing in. Always.

During class, during lunch, on the phone, in-between breaks he'd scribble a thing or two inside the nearest available page, and no matter what, he always had it close at hand. He took his backpack everywhere, including the bathroom. However, nobody knew what was written inside, whether they were sketches, long-winded stories or a simple to-do list.

Arthur was curious though, maybe a little more so than good for his own sake.

That didn't mean he cared. If Francis pestered him one more time about that damn boy..

Well, no matter the reason, it was needless to say that Arthur was rather surprised when he stumbled upon the boys black notebook, laying on the bathroom sink in the men's restroom.

"What's this?", he cocked his head, before opening the front cover.

_Property of Alfred F. Jones_.

_If found, please don't read it, please don't return it. _

Well that was rather odd..It seemed valuable, why not return it? Was it something he no longer wished to keep? Still, it was easy to dispose of something like this, after all the school was practically littered with garbage cans and recycling bins. You couldn't turn a corner without seeing one, and there was a trash can right inside the bathroom, literally feet away from where he stood.

What a strange boy.

"Don't read it, but don't return it..", he repeated, "That's odd. If it's something you wouldn't want read, why not have it returned? Obviously it holds some kind of personal value.."

Regardless, he flipped open the front page. There was no point in abiding by a rule that made no sense to him in the slightest..Honestly, he should knock some sense into the boy next time he sees him.

"_Hello, _

_My name is Alfred ._

_There's really no point in writing this way, but I figured it would kill time.. I don't really have anything else to do. I'm not that popular, but that doesn't matter. That's besides the point.. This notebook was the last thing I received from my mother before I moved away. My parents were doing a bit of fighting around the house and I wasn't helping the case. They were divorced, and they've been divorced for about two years now..Around the time I started high school. It sounds bad but it's not, really. They blame me, so that's why they sent me to London. They wanted me as far away from them as possible..My brother's still in America though. He promised to take care of them, he promised he would straighten things out, he promised he would call me everyday and he does..He does his best, he tries to straighten these things out, he tries to cover up my mistakes, but I think that's asking a little too much of Matt. I think that's asking too much from mom and dad..I know I'll never be forgiven and if Matt ever found out what I've done, he'd hate me just as much as they do._

_ I don't blame him. I don't blame anybody."_

Of course that's when the bloody bell decided to ring..

Knowing well the bathroom would begin to flood with last-minute attempts of free-time, he quickly slid the notebook into his book bag, which he lazily slung across his shoulder.

He'd run past Francis in the hallway, who shot him a sad glare when he roughly shoved the Frenchman against the wall in his haste (more or less on accident).

"Arthur, what's the hurry?!"

"Shut it, frog!"

Arthur sat through the rest of his classes, bored out of his mind as he continued to inwardly unravel the mysteries of whatever may lay inside of that notebook..It almost felt as if he was reading a scandalous story, one meant for his eyes only, but not so..It was hard to explain, but the thrill of learning more about the boy than humanly possible was quite alluring.

He wanted to brag. He wanted to be able to strut his knowledge and proudly state that he knew him better than anyone else, that he could name every inch of Alfred's life, that-

Well, now Arthur had just entered stalker territory.

..Oh well.

* * *

After school, Arthur quickly threw his bag on the floor and ran up to his bedroom, slamming the door shut, locking it tightly before quickly flopping down on the bed, notebook in hand as he flipped it back open, eyes scanning the page hungrily.

_"I don't have much else to say for today. In case you're wondering, mom sent me to live with my step-dad, which doesn't make much sense..Well, he's another ex of hers so I guess he isn't really my step-dad anymore but I'm not sure what to call him either. We don't talk much, really. I don't consider him a father and I don't think he considers me a son. I barely remember his name, honestly, and he leaves me home alone allot..Not that I mind. I like time to myself. It's nice, it's peaceful, it's relaxing...It's not lonely. I just wish-"_, the rest was scribbled out, "_I have to go now, I have to go pick up some school supplies. They never sent me any."_

That's where entry one ended, and frankly, Arthur was intrigued. He quickly moved on the the next article.

_"Hello, _

_I have nothing else to do but write right now. There's nothing here for me, really. I hate how it's raining..I've only lived in London for a week or so and my tan already disappeared. My skin is getting worse every day, I'm becoming a vampire! On a more serious note, I really wish it would stop raining. It sucks when it rains..I don't like it. It's really obnoxious. I hate it, I hate it so much, I miss the sun so much, I hate London, I miss Washington D.C. with all my heart and soul, I miss Matt-",_ the rest was scribbled out once again, _"Sorry, I'm rambling now. None of that's important..I'm supposed to make the most out of my time here. After all, there's no hope in returning to America..Not for me, at least."_

__"Arthur, what are you doing up there?"

"Nothing, leave me alone!", he shouted.

"I'm telling mum that you're ignoring me!"

"Damnit Peter I'm busy!"

He huffed as he continued reading, ignoring his obnoxious younger brother.

* * *

_"Hey,_

_Today is my first day of school in London..I'm not really sure of myself right now, I tried making a few friends but it's allot more..difficult than it was when I lived in America. I was less intimidated by the students. I'm not saying I'm intimidated it just..I feel less at home around here. Have you ever heard the expression 'home is where the heart is'? I have, and I hate it. It's so true that I can't stand it..But there's nothing I can do about it now so I'm just going to bear with it. I'm going to sit here at lunch and write down everything and anything that comes to mind..At least it'll look like I have something to do. Maybe I'll call Matt later."_

* * *

_"Hey, _

_I didn't have such a great first day. I think I made somebody angry..I don't know. I was walking down the hall and one kid seemed really, really upset with me. I don't know why, though. I swear I've never met him before..He looks pretty intimidating to me, though. More so than the others. I'm not really sure who he is but..whatever. I think I have a few classes with him. That's not very good. Well, I'm writing this before class starts and I just wanted to give you a recap on my first day, so like, whatever I guess."_

_"I was right. I really did piss someone off..I'm not sure why, though. I guess..things just get around, maybe? I don't know, I really don't know..He just..I pass him in the hall, I sit right in front of him in one class, I always hear him..I hear every word he's saying. He's always insulting me..Why do you think that is?"_

_"So, I figured out the dudes name today. His name is Alex..He really hates me, I guess. I know because I heard a few other students talking about it. Apparently word got around that he had it out for me, I don't know why, I really don't..I wish I did, though. Maybe if I knew, I could straighten the whole thing out with him. That would work out, wouldn't it? I..I hope. I don't think he can be reasoned with but..whatever."_

_"I'm getting a little pissed. No one will tell me anything."_

_"I hate this."_

Lost in his words, he continued shifting from page to page, hearing nothing in particular but more frustration regarding the boy that seemed to hate him for reasons which no one would bother to explain..Honestly, some people. He skipped a few entries ahead.

* * *

_"Everything's gotten worse. I found out why he hated me. I found out that his girlfriend was hitting on me..Apparently, that's the story. I don't know, word is she had a thing for me and he was jealous but..that's not my fault. I never asked for that..I mean, honestly, I'm gay. I don't..I just. Ugh, so annoying."_

That last statement shocked Arthur. Could there really be another who shared his sexual orientation? An American?! This was..quite interesting. ... Not that he cared.

_"Today I was cornered in the locker room. It was Alex and his friends. I didn't fight back..I didn't do anything, really, I never spoke..nothing. He hated me for that. He kept yelling, shouting in my ear..At one point he started choking me but I don't remember much after that. I can recall him telling me that he didn't want to see me back in school for a while though, which was fine with me. I think I'll be alright with that."_

* * *

_"I did what he asked. I missed school. The day I came back, he was waiting for me. They called me names but nothing else really happened..nothing worth mentioning at least. But, I think I have some good news..I may have made a friend today. I think..I don't know. He's an exchange student, just like me. His name is Ivan. He's from..Russia, was it? Yeah, Russia. He's pretty cool..A little scary, but cool."_

_"No one bothers me when he's around. He's intimidating."_

__Arthur faintly recalled a Russian exchange student about four months ago maybe? Maybe..Well, whatever.

_"I think it's getting worse..Yeah, it's definitely getting worse. Whenever Ivan isn't around, they pick on_ me..They_ insult me, they tease me, they push me, and it's stupid! Honestly, what did I ever do to them? I heard Alex broke up with his girlfriend like a week ago, so what's the deal? Does he just hate me for the sake of hating me? That's fucked!"_

* * *

_"I had a nightmare, I can't sleep so I'm going to write this quickly, take a shower, maybe..I don't know eat? I don't know what else to do, I just don't want to sleep right now. I was in school and I had friends, I was with Matt, mom and dad loved me, I was hanging with Tony (my old friend) and life was perfect. Then when I came home, they were all gathered around me..They looked so angry. They looked so disappointed, and they kept repeating the same damn thing over and over. They told me about every damn thing I did wrong and how useless I was. I didn't like it, but I didn't think much of it. The only problem was, it sounded really familiar. It sounded just like Alex..I think I'm letting it get to me. Damnit."_

_"Ivan likes sunflowers. There are no sunflowers in Russia. I should bring him some."_

_"I was going to give him some sunflowers, but there are none in London either. It rains too often."_

* * *

_"Ivan moved away. They beat me up today in the bathroom, then they locked the door. They told me if I left, they would find me and do it again. Not that they weren't already planning on doing that in the first place. I guess I don't really care, you know? There's nothing to really do in class anyway. At least I have some more free time on my hands now! That's pretty cool. Seriously, it's not that bad!"_

* * *

_"Matt called me during lunch today! I can't believe he memorized the time zone already..That's pretty awesome. I loved talking to him. We did allot of catching up and he told me all about how mom and dad were doing, and how they all hoped I was doing well. I told him that I was having a good time, and we talked about super hero's, movies (specifically, horror), video games, and anything and everything! It was so great! I hope he calls me tomorrow."_

* * *

_"Matt didn't call me today. I kind of expected as much, but it was a little disappointing because I had nothing else to do but write in this stupid book..I'm not really sure what I was writing, I think I was just making a list of all the friends I left behind in America..It's a little depressing. Seriously, what's wrong with me? I bet Alex knows."_

* * *

_"They beat me up again today, not that I'm surprised. I don't really mind the pain so much as the name calling. They constantly harass me for things that are out of my control..I don't understand what I did to them. I wish Matt was here...I wish anyone was here."_

* * *

_"Step dad and I got into a fight last night. It got a little physical but it ended quickly. Things aren't very smooth between us right now, but I don't really care, I guess. I keep saying that, don't I?"_

* * *

_"I haven't written anything for a week. My time's been a little..occupied. Everyday for the past week, Alex has beaten me up and dragged me to god knows where and ordered me to stay. Just like a little dog, I did exactly what I was told..I hate this. I hate this so much.."_

Arthur faintly noticed what looked like a dried up wet spot on bits and parts of the page.

..Tear stains?

* * *

_"I met a really cool kid today. He's pretty punk..I don't know much about him but I've seen him around school. He has blonde hair and green eyes, and the tips of his hair are dyed green too, how cool is that!? He also has these big, bushy eyebrows. But don't make fun of them or he'll punch you, I've seen it happen. _

_ Anyway, I picked up his notebook today, and it was full of music..All different kinds! Song lyrics, songs in general, instructions on how to play a song on the guitar, everything and anything imaginable! This dude's a total rocker! He's got lots of piercings too and I think he may or may not have a tattoo.. It's pretty interesting to see, really. There aren't many of those where I come from. Anyway, I hope I meet him again. I could really use another friend since Ivan moved away. It's not fun hanging out with yourself, really. I mean, I can get by but..."_

"Arthur, dinner!"

"C-Coming mother!", he stuttered, cheeks blushing mad red, against his own will.

Ah, it seemed he had quite the long read ahead of him..

* * *

** Alright, I owe you guys an explanation. **

** Lately I've been doing allot of thinking (really not a good thing for me to be doing, I put myself in dark places) but I began to ponder these dark themes and I found an angle on one..I really wanted to share this story with someone, even if it may not make sense to allot of people. I just hope by the end you'll understand what I'm trying to say and feel a little..I can't really explain it right now, I don't want to spoil, but..Maybe, hopeful?**

** I know that Alfred is well out of character.**

** I know that Arthur is well out of character. **

** I know that you probably hate me for writing this. I'm sorry, but I'm in a..I don't want to say a "dark place" right now because that wouldn't be necessarily true, but I want to say I'm a little on edge, a little disturbed, a little unsure..I just need to connect with my readers right now, that's alright, isn't it? You guys don't mind?**

** Sorry I'm rambling but writing always puts me in a better mood. **


	2. Chapter 2

**WARNINGS: Refer to chapter one/summary**

* * *

Perhaps now would be a good time to return the notebook, Arthur sighed inwardly as he spotted a mess of blonde hair sitting alone at a secluded lunch table, in the far corner of the cafeteria.

Maybe this wasn't such a good idea..So many people were around. He wasn't used to confronting people about this sort of thing..Should he even confront him? What if he figures out that he's read a bit of the notebook, what if he decides that Arthur's..something of the stalker sort?

Taking a deep breath, he clenched his fists and double checked his bag, making sure the notebook was inside.

It was, and he was quickly running out of excuses.

Nothing to lose..

Yes, he had the perfect plan now. This one was bulletproof!

"Excuse me?", he coughed as he tapped on Alfred's shoulder.

Alfred flinched a little, he noticed, before turning around and looking up at Arthur.

"Ah..", he cleared his throat, "Ahem, you dropped this, do you want it back?"

Hesitantly, Alfred looked down at the book, then back up at Arthur, and quickly scanned the room as if some hidden source held the answer.

"Sure..", he half-whispered, "Thanks."

Alfred accepted the notebook, flipping to the next available space and immediately began his newest entry.

God how Arthur wished he knew what he was writing..

Well, in a way he did but..he'd rather not.

Unfortunately Arthur only had to walk to the other side of the cafeteria and turn around before noticing Alfred's sudden disappearance.

And naturally, Alfred had left his bag this time.

Which was odd considering lunch ended in about thirty minutes or so..Why the sudden rush?

_"Might as well return this to the poor lad while I'm at it."_

After a few sharp turns and a dead end or two, he'd stumbled into the bathroom, where he found Alfred.

Or at least, what was left of him.

It was a shame to say that Arthur was no longer surprised, but there Alfred was, down on the ground, back against the wall with his knees tucked in. His hands had covered his face and he was very subtly, but surely crying.

Debating whether or not it was right to do something, anything really, he took his chances, "A-Alfred?"

The boy looked up, hands still on his face, blue eyes peeking through the space in-between his ring and index finger.

"Alfred, are you alright?"

"I'm fine.", he smiled weakly, voice barely muffled through his hands, "Hey, did you see Alex on the way in here?"

"Afraid not. Is there a message you'd like me to pass onto him?", he asked as if he didn't know.

"N-No!", he panicked before retracting, "I mean, you don't need to do that. Seriously, if you see him don't mention me. I was just asking..that's all. H-He was in here earlier..I, uh..", the boy trailed off as his lie began to falter.

"Say no more.", Arthur sighed, raising his hand, "I just thought that..well, perhaps you'd like this back.", he held the bag up high, before placing it gently in front of Alfred.

"Thanks..again."

"No problem."

Alfred shuffled through his backpack for a brief moment, while the two exchanged a calm silence.

Arthur followed suit, quickly shuffling through his bag until he pulled out two identical, chocolate colored lollipops.

"Want one?"

"..No thanks.", he shook his head as he lazily leaned back against the wall, resuming his previous position.

"Alright.", sighed Arthur, placing the pop in his own mouth, "I'll just be on my way then."

Alfred said nothing, nodding as he shut the door behind him.

Arthur waited but five minutes patiently, hidden, pressed right against the door, before stepping into the bathroom one last time.

As he bitterly expected, Alfred stood above the sink, washing his bloody wrist out underneath the cool water. It noticeably stung, as Alfred flinched and cringed under his breath, only halting as he noticed Arthur's sudden presence.

"I-I, what are you doing here?", he panicked as he quickly hid both of his wrists, shutting the water off before collecting his things at a speed the almost seemed faster than humanly possible.

Arthur said nothing, clenching both fists as he ran toward Alfred, roughly shoving his sleeves up to his elbows, revealing both tarnished wrists.

"A-Arthur! Stop!", he nearly screamed.

He felt a little bad for scaring the poor boy, he was flinching all over and clearly shaking, but that wasn't his main concern right now. Sure, he was worried about Alfred, but honestly what did the git think he was doing?

"You've been lying for a while now, Alfred. I want an explanation..A good one."

"I..I can't tell you. Arthur, we have class soon, we'll be late or-...Someone might come in!"

Barely sighing, Arthur maintained his grip on the boy's wrist as he quickly locked the door, immediately returning his attention toward Alfred.

"I..We'll still be late. I can't miss this next period!"

"Lies, all bloody lies! Just how many classes have you missed since you've come to live in London? How many days has Alex locked you in the bathroom, or the locker room, or any other bloody room in this damn hell we call a school, hmm? Will you tell me that, or will I have to catch you in yet another lie?"

"You..You're not supposed to know about that! W-Who told you!?"

"It doesn't matter, Alfred. People were bound to find out sooner or later, it's a damn miracle that you managed to keep this hidden for so long. Just how long have you lived with this abuse? How long has Alex tortured you?"

"P-Please don't tell anyone, Arthur, I'll do anything! I-I swear..anything you ask!", he cried as he knelt down as far as he was able, practically clinging to Arthur's thighs.

"G-Get up, I don't want anything out of you except for an explanation. Believe it or not, not everyone is like that bastard. Now get up, will you? I want you to stand up and stand tall, right this instance before I knock some sense into you myself!"

Ah, the comforting words of an English punk.

Alfred obeyed, obviously biting back a few tears as he faced Arthur as well as he was able, twitching a bit and avoiding the others stern gaze.

"Tell me when this started.", he asked as if he didn't know, playing dumb once again.

"Ah, a..a week or two after school started, I don't remember."

"What was or is his motive?"

"I ..I don't really know.", he hesitated.

"How many times has he physically assaulted you, do you know?"

Alfred sadly shook his head.

Arthur was running out of questions..damn. Well, at least this might lift his spirits. It's high unlikely, he's bound to say no, right? Yes, innocent little Alfred will say no..the perfect angel.

What? No more lolli's for Arthur.

"H-Have you ever been sexually assaulted by Alex or anyone close to him?"

They both seemed to hold their breaths now, one awaiting a question, one awaiting a correct answer.

Alfred bit down on his lower lip, hard, surprised that it hadn't begun to bleed.

"A-Answer me, Alfred."

"I..I can't, I'm sorry, Arthur.."

"Why not? Why the hell not?"

"I-I swore I'd never tell, I'm sorry Arthur, please just..will you get out of here?!"

This time, Alfred had broken down, and he'd fallen to his knees. Mouth gaping wide open, Arthur lost his grip on his wrist and released him, backing away as terrible images filled his head. Without another word, he ran.

Out of the bathroom, out of the halls, away from the classroom, far away from school as tears filled both of his eyes, despite his lack of consent.

His mother never questioned why he was home early, or why he'd slammed the door and immediately run off, straight up to his room. Even Peter had sensed the gloomy atmosphere and failed to bother his brother that day.

After occupying himself with everything and anything possible, he'd cried himself to sleep with thoughts of Alfred deep in his mind.

It was getting harder to deny his interest, harder to deny their connection, harder to deny their sorrow.

* * *

_Alfred was alone._

_ Alone he sat, quietly in a dark, bottomless pit of nothing. No one there to help him, no one there to comfort him, no one there to judge him as he cried his little heart out. No one there to stop the blood that continued to drip off of his wrists. _

_ The words circulated in his own mind like wasps, or pesky insects attracted to light. That light, being Alfred. _

_"Loser."_

_"Faggot!"_

_"Die."_

_"Kill yourself."_

_"Disappointment."_

_"No one would miss you if you died, you know that right?"_

_"You're such a damn waste of space, I'm so tired of you!"_

_ Alfred sat there, accepting each and every word as if it were apart of him, endless tears streaming down his face as the blood grew thicker, as if he would soon run out. _

_"Alfred!"_

_ His attention shot toward the sudden voice, his name echoing through the empty darkness. _

_ He couldn't find the source..He couldn't find the light..He found nothing. He remained on his knees, disappointed at the thought of losing such an opportunity. An opportunity to speak with someone who perhaps meant no harm.._

_"Alfred. I'm right here. Don't cry.."_

_ Ah..Now he could see him, Arthur noticed as he shifted his body around, stained eyes and blurry vision staring up at the gentle punk. _

_ Somehow sure of himself, Arthur held a white blindfold, gently folding it over Alfred's eyes as he knelt down to his height, whispering soft reassurances. _

_"Everything will be alright love, you'll be fine."_

_ Little by little, every harsh voice grew softer, and softer until Alfred could no longer make out Alex's harsh words. Instead they all belonged to the same voice, the same punk, the same Englishman._

_"You're a strong lad."_

_"You'll be alright."_

_"Relax for a bit."_

_ The voices trailed off, morphing into one silent, gentle whisper. This time he felt warm hands around himself, pulling him into what felt like a hug, kind hands gently stroking his back. _

_"I won't let them hurt you any longer, I'll give you that promise."_

_ Though Alfred continued to cry, Arthur felt a little more relieved. This time the boy was giving him a smile._

_A genuine smile. _

_ So, with one last sweet nothing, Arthur lightly kissed the top of his forehead, as his own dream quickly faded away, and he woke up to a London sky that seemed sunnier than it ever had before._

* * *

**Seriously, you guys have no idea how awesome you are. Prussia would be proud.**

** I've never had people be so supportive of me, no one other than my really close friend. I never expected you guys to go to such lengths to make me feel better..I mean, I wasn't confessing my life story, I wasn't trying to list each and every one of my sins but you guys were actually worried and that means allot to me. **

** Sorry if I'm rambling but the bottom line is, this is my gift to you and I appreciate each and every one of you for taking the time to read this. **

** I think I'll give you guys a real explanation when this story is actually over. **

**P.S. This is not the official end, but close. **


	3. Chapter 3

Arthur marched to school with pride that morning, ignoring any icy glares he received. He'd passed a few smiling faces, an annoying Frenchmen, obnoxious Prussian, bubbly Spaniard, and a few more here and there.

Needless to say, he ignored them all.

The day passed relatively quickly, no real issues and he'd even gone so far as to respect the teachers that day.

Come lunch he'd darted off to lunch a minute before the bell rung, and before anyone could make the foolish mistake of calling after him, his eyes scanned the cafeteria for the American.

The bell had officially rung and people were flowing in and out of doors, swarming the lunch lady, and grabbing tables left and right until _his_ was the only one left.

Oh well, perhaps he hadn't come today.

_"What a damn shame."_, Arthur bitterly sighed, grabbing his bag as he made way for the halls, path set straight ahead for the bathroom.

No sign of him their either.

Regardless, he wasn't quite ready to give up. If anything, he was just getting started, and whether he found Alfred or not, didn't mean he was going to stop trying anytime soon.

So he paced the halls for a while, ignoring the irritating chatter of his fellow _peers_. Somewhere along the way he'd mindlessly wandered into the locker room. Not that he minded, it's not like he had much else to do today now that he knew Alfred had skipped out.

..Though, naturally he couldn't help but ponder why. Had he offended the boy, perhaps? If he had it was surely an accident..Alfred should be alright for the most part, at least..Well, he won't have to deal with Alex today, nor his bastard friends. Perhaps it was a blessing in disguise.

And if he was angry with Arthur, well, he wasn't quite sure _what_ he would do.

_"So, what happened with that kid?"_

_"What do you mean what happened?"_

_"I mean, what went on, did you get what you wanted?"_

_"No, not yet, but I will. He'll give in sooner or later. I pushed him a little far yesterday, and he pushed back, so I told him to stay home. He's a docile little brat, I'll give him that."_

And suddenly eavesdropping is somehow _useful._

Arthur silent peered around the row of lockers, the stench of smoke high in the air, suffocating him. He held back a cough and swallowed any breath he had left, as he spotted a far too familiar group of idiots just around the corner. They were unaware of Arthur's presence so far, and that was just what he was hoping for.

If Alfred wasn't going to give him a straight answer, someone may as well.

"I can't believe you pushed the kid that far!", laughed one of the louder ones with a lit joint between his lips.

"I can. It was bound to happen sooner or later and tonight everything's going to go just the way I wanted it to. I stole the kids notebook, and with a tiny bit of detective work, I found out where the brat lives.", bravely said the boy he recognized as Alex, who held a joint in his mouth as well as the others.

"So what are you going to do now?"

"Everything. I'm going to do everything. Tonight I'll take him by surprise, and by tomorrow morning, he'll know who's boss. I'll control him, I'll own him, then I'll break him. Just because he might have been a big shot in his old dumpy ass school, doesn't mean he's worth shit here. I can destroy him and throw him away, just like a used up toy and no one would give a single damn. No one would notice he had ever existed, and I plan on keeping it that way."

"BLOODY BASTARD, TO HELL WITH ALL OF YOU!"

It appears Arthur cracked just a little sooner than anticipated.

"Oi, who's that?"

"Kirkland, is that you?"

"Relax lad, come here and roll one up with us. The teachers are all on break and the students don't come in here, well, except for us 'course. Come sit down with us, you look like a man we can party with!"

A man they could _party_ with?

Oh, right. Piercings, tattoos, hair dye..

"I'd rather jump off a cliff and slit my own throat than roll anything up with the likes of you bastards."

"What's that supposed to mean? We're just being nice here. What, just 'cause you're a punk and all, you think you can take us?"

"Hey, Kirkland, how much did you hear?"

"How much did he hear? What the bloody hell does that have to do with anything?"

"I don't know. Maybe he was friends with Alfred? Who knows, boys like him are always troublesome."

"That's true, so what should we do?"

"We treat him how we treat any other pest, ignore him and he'll eventually go away."

Arthur threw his bag down, practically seething, clenching both fists so hard he was practically almost sure they were bleeding. Not that he cared, at the moment, of course.

"Shut up, the lot of you! What were you saying about Alfred? Were you calling him a toy? Do you think he's a damn joke? He's a human being! How could any of you..", his breath leveled as he collected himself, "How could any of you consider yourselves any more of a human than he is! You're pathetic, you don't deserve the lowest pits of hell! No, that's too damn good for sorry excuses like you!"

"Kirkland has a very big _mouth_.", Alex whispered in a tone that sounded fairly _menacing_.

"It's a good thing I don't give a damn."

This time, they both took a few steps forward until they were face to face..and it appeared that Alex was a good few heads taller than Arthur.

Uneven odds, really, he's not surprised.

"Do you think a small fry like you can take me? I think you should shut the hell up and get out of here before we make you. Wouldn't want to get hurt, would we?"

"I'm fine with getting hurt, but I don't understand how one large body can only hold such little, _little_ intelligence."

"You're really asking for it now.. Get going before I beat you to a bloody pulp, you punk."

"I'm not afraid. Unlike you, I have something called balls. I don't pick on the weak to make myself look like a big shot, and I don't rely on idiots like this for back up. Honestly, you couldn't be a bigger loser. I know you're tough and big and strong on the outside, but always remember, I can see through your lies. No matter what you accomplish in your wasteful existence of a life, always remember that you'll forever be nothing but a big, fat, _coward_."

Alex through the first punch.

He landed a blow directly to Arthur's cheek, bound to leave a pretty bruise, but Arthur said nothing. Despite the pain, he gave his retaliation all that he'd had, and then some. He punched the taller one right below the belt, who in turn, jolted his knee up as a sign of defense. This one said nothing, merely staring back in shock as Arthur delivered the blow to his vital regions, knocking Alex down to size, and at last, they were eye level.

He didn't stop there.

Arthur tackled the bastard to the ground, pinning him down under his knees, seizing his neck and practically choking him, before releasing his hold and punching every available skin in sight. There was a trail of red marks left on the skin, Arthur noticed, suddenly thankful he'd forgotten to remove his rings. He felt the pull on his back and realized someone was trying to pry him off. He kept fighting, pretending he hadn't noticed and refused to turn around.

Watching Alex squirm as he received exactly what was coming to him was just about as much satisfaction Arthur ever needed.

* * *

It turned out that the fight had lasted a little longer than expected. The noise became audible, as it apparently echoed off the lockers, down the halls, until it reached the plentiful ears of all who sought their own business in the cafeteria. Despite their concern or lack thereof, he kept fighting until it took two full grown adults (he assumed were either staff or teachers) to retain the rowdy teenager.

He'd left the boy with a bit more than a bloody (nearly broken) nose, scratches among every visible area of skin, and bruises up and down both arms, along with a few red prints here and there around his neck.

So far, the principle had little to say to him and he was sent away. Of course, knowing full well that no one was home right now, he quickly shuffled through his bag in hopes to find..

Yes, there it was.

Thankfully Arthur had somehow obtained Alfred's lost treasure, and if that neanderthal was able to snoop his way around Alfred's address, there was no way in hell Arthur couldn't do it as well.

As hoped for, an address was provided on one of the older pages, where Alfred had taped in a letter from his (apparently twin) brother. The envelope gave the rest away.

So, he dropped his bag, notebook firm in hand, and ran the rest of the way toward Alfred's direction.

* * *

Alfred lived in a nice neighborhood, to say the least. It looked nice, every lawn neatly trimmed, and each house decorated with their own unique designs, so much you would never have guessed a boy like Alfred lived here. What's not to love when you live in a place like this?

He stepped on Alfred's doorstep, checking and re-checking the address before he rung the doorbell.

It took a minute or two before he felt a little nervous for little more than two reasons.

1) Alfred was taking a _long_ time to answer a stupid door.

2) He wasn't sure how long it would take before one of the classier broads around questioned the teenagers appearance, or his presence at such a fine neighborhood and he was about ready to put money on the fact that someone was going to call the cops.

Desperate, he flipped a page or two of the notebook and found just a _bit_ of useful information.

_"Step-dad keeps yelling at me because I forgot to put the stupid key under the mat again! That's not fair, he forgets all the time..Oh well, I guess."_

Feeling just a bit of lament for using this boy's weakness to his advantage, he reached under the white welcome mat and indeed found a bright, golden key.

He slipped the key into the door knob and after a flick or two of the wrist, it opened at his command and he stepped inside, admiring the large, spacious area for only a minute or two before moving on. He heard no one, and there were no cares parked outside within a fifty foot radius of the household so he assumed no one was home.

Hopefully, no one besides Alfred.

Arthur shuffled through the living room quietly, in desperate hope that the neighbors had yet to call the cops. He knew it was only a matter of time, but for now he needed to find Alfred. It wasn't safe here.

However, the sound of glass shattering interrupted any possibly coherent thoughts.

He sped up the stairs, footsteps growing louder much to his distaste. After one sharp right, he found himself face to face with an open door, peering straight into what appeared to be a household bathroom. He noticed the tiled floor, white wall, and brilliantly cracked mirror that reflected the beautiful blue eyes and flash of blonde hair.. Unfortunately, that included Arthur.

"I..I'm sorry to intrude.", he stuttered as the boy looked up at the mirror, wide-eyed, before spinning around in disbelief.

"What are you doing here?", he demanded, "G-Get out, how did you get into my house?"

"I..You see..I just.."

At a loss for words, he took a breath and threw his hands into the air, save for one which held the little notebook.

"I..I came to return this to you..Again."

The boy looked a little dumbstruck. Unsure, he pushed the door open, out of his way as he stepped toward Arthur.

"You came all this way..to return my notebook?"

Arthur shamefully lowered his hair, rubbing the back of his neck nervously before nodding, "I suppose it's a bit of a..strange reason, as opposed to...Ah..How do I say this; You're not entirely right. I came here to-"

"Do you really expect me to believe that, Arthur?"

"Believe me? What do you mean? Why else would I have come.."

"You..You're working with them, aren't you?"

"Them? Who are you referring to? Are you referring to Chris and them? If you are-"

"That's exactly who I'm referring to. How did you know that?"

"I..I didn't. I just..Word gets around.", he quickly stated, "Practically everyone knows."

Well, after today everyone would, at least.

* * *

**This is where I'm stopping today. Sorry, I just can't put my focus forward at the moment. **

**Anyway, _I'm not ending it here_. _I'm actually re-doing a decent portion of this chapter_, but it shouldn't hurt the plot too much, merely extend it and have a bit of a better ending with less holes in the story and all that. **

** Anyway, I'm not going to bore you with a huge author's note this time. If it were me, I would have already skipped to the next chapter so if you're reading this in current time lapse, just wait patiently and there'll be a new chapter up soon (hopefully) and if you're from the future it's likely you've already skipped to the next chapter already.**


	4. Chapter 4

The greeting wasn't quite as intense as Arthur had imagined. He was under the impression that the boy would immediately kick him out of his home and call the police, who would escort Arthur somewhere far, far away if he was lucky.

However, that was not the case.

Alfred shyly invited Arthur in and played it off as if nothing had gone on only moments ago. Alfred took a seat on the bed and offered Arthur a chair, which Arthur declined.

"So, what are you doing here, Arthur?"

"Ah..What I'm doing here?", he repeated, receiving a nod, "I just..I felt I was..obligated to visit you."

Alfred merely bit his lip as Arthur spoke, "So you didn't have any other motive? Nobody sent you? Nobody else is going to show up?"

"No..Not that I know of, unless your step father returns soon."

"How did you know I lived with my step father?"

"I..Ah, you see, I..I've seen you around. Father has driven us by this neighborhood before and we just happened to see you with a man that looked..like a father figure. You don't look anything alike so we assumed you weren't blood related.."

"I see.."

Alfred remained silent, eyes wandering everywhere else besides the object in front of him.

"Your hand."

"What was that?"

"Your hand is bleeding."

"A-Oh! I..Sorry about that, I got into a little accident before you got here, let me go get some bandages-"

"No need."

"Huh?"

"I'll do it. You stay put and try to stop the bleeding, I know where the bandages are."

Arthur stood up and opened the door, a clear line of sight leading directly to the bathroom before him.

"You really know allot about me, don't you, Arthur?"

He stopped in his tracks, glancing back towards Alfred for only a second, "I'm afraid so."

Alfred silently gasped as Arthur walked away. He had a feeling he knew what he was talking about..

Nonetheless, Alfred played dumb as he allowed Arthur to bandage up his hand. The disinfectant stung, but Arthur insisted he didn't want the wound to get infected.

"You know, I've never met someone as persistent as you are, Arthur."

"Never? Well you've only been in England for a short while, it's no wonder, really.."

"No, I mean I've never met someone who would go this far just to help a stranger. We've never really spoken honestly before today, have we?"

"..I suppose you have a point."

"So why is that?"

"Why is what?"

"Why do you go out of your way to help?"

Arthur hummed questioningly, "I'm not really sure..Does it matter?"

"Kind of."

"Well..If you must know, I've never been one to turn a blind eye. When I know something is wrong, I'll do anything to put an end to it, whatever it takes."

"That's really cool of you, Arthur! You're just like a hero!"

"A hero? Well I wouldn't go that far-"

"No, really! You came all this way just to speak to me..You know what's going on and you wanted to help..On top of that, you're treating a wound that I almost completely forgot I had!"

Arthur chuckled at his enthusiasm, before chiding his sudden movement as his body shifted.

"I..Wait! Alfred, I just.."

"Huh? What is it, Arthur?"

"I..I just..Now that I think about it, I recall coming here to tell you something. It's important and you must hear it before all else.."

"What is it?"

"You..I'll tell you later. I-"

"You just said it was urgent!"

"It is! But action comes before an explanation right now. I need you to quickly, please, pack your things, pack any necessities you might need for the night or two, and come with me."

"Come with you?"

"Y-Yes..I'm sorry for the sudden demand but we have no other choice."

"Can you..Can't you at least tell me what we're running from?"

"You really know allot about me, don't you, Arthur?", he casually repeated.

"As I've said, a little more than I should know, I'm afraid.."

They remained in silence for a brief moment, before Arthur stood, "Now..Will you be coming with me?"

Alfred was going to protest.

He was going to call Arthur out on the fact he must have read his notebook..There was no other way anyone could have gotten all that information based on biased rumors passed on. Besides, he knew Arthur never bought into rumors..Everybody knew that.

However, something was definitely unsettling.

Why would Arthur go to such lengths to-

"Alfred, are you alright?"

"What? Oh, yeah! I'm great! Thanks for asking."

"..Alright, well..You've heard what I said, haven't you?"

"..I have."

"You'll come with me, tonight?"

"...", he sighed, tucking in his knees, "I don't know, Arthur. This is pretty unusual. Put yourself in my position for a moment, if you can. Something feels really off."

Arthur sighed, "I-I know this may be hard for you to understand, but if you don't come with me now, they'll arrive before late and we-!"

"Who will arrive before late?"

"N-Nobody. Just precautionary measures."

"Arthur. Please, tell me everything you know. I feel..as though you're hiding something."

"What could I possibly keep from you?"

The two sat in a knowing moment of silence.

"Well..It began, the day I found your notebook."

* * *

The two had sat for up to three hours, telling each other of every idle way they may have come across one another, what could have positioned such a steady friendship, and many other things they'll likely never understand. Regardless, they tried. They pondered life, death, and Alfred confessed to contemplating suicide one time or another, to which somehow scared Arthur.

Arthur confessed to sharing the same distorted path, though long since forgotten.

Then he'd finally come down to the important part.

"Alfred. Alex knows your address. He spoke of finding you tonight, but omitted his intentions. I was expelled; The two of us got into a bit of a fight. I'd like you to relocate. This is becoming a danger to you and others."

This time, Alfred made no move to hide his face. He sat there with a delicate smile, despite the obvious tears in his eyes as Arthur embraced him.

_"I can't believe you would do that for me."_

* * *

Life had pressed on a little faster.

Arthur had taken Alfred to his house, spent the night, and talked his mother into letting him stay the week.

Coincidentally, by the end of the week, Alex was convicted of assault and locked up, awaiting trial.

The school year was quickly coming to an end, and Arthur just so happened to have made plans for a transfer..with a little help and a few strings his brothers had pulled, the two now held reserved seats at a prestigious academy, located just off Washington D.C., destination: America.

In yet another pressing matter, Alfred had received his first kiss.

From Arthur.

* * *

_Dear Arthur, _

_We've been together for three..almost four years now! That's amazing! I can't believe it, you've been here with me ever since high school, and I couldn't love you anymore than I already do. It just isn't possible. I owe you so much-_

_ On another note, I just have to thank you. I have to thank you for never leaving me. _

_ You promised you would stay with me, up until the very moment I decided to stand on my own two feet..which came a lot sooner than expected, right? I couldn't believe it either. I've never felt so powerful, or independent._

_..But I must have kept that from you, right?_

_ Because you never left._

_ I love you so much, Arthur! We've made so many great memories together. _

_ Do you remember our first day at school, before we came out? _

_ I know you were probably as scared as I was..you had the same look on your face, the moment we caught Ludwig and Feliciano kissing in the hallway! We asked around and it turned out, that was pretty much completely normal at that school, right?_

_ Wow, it's amazing. I never thought that people were so kind-It's like they're incapable of telling one gender apart from the other, it never even crosses their mind!_

_ How about the day Francis transferred? You looked so mortified it was hysterical! In fact, the entire trio had transferred and you looked ready to explode! It's a good thing I was there to stop you. _

_ What about the day we realized, we made real friends? We were finally living a normal life, just like normal teenagers? The day we graduated? _

_ I remember it all-_

_ Almost, all of it, actually. _

_ I can't remember the day I lost my notebook. I'm not even really sure where it is.. _

_ I can't remember why I was ever so upset, or why I wasn't happy. _

_ But, none of that matters now. _

_ I don't really know how we got here, or who to thank, but I do know that I love you, Arthur!_

_ So, I'm going to ask you in the most cliche way I can think of: _

_ Arthur, will you marry me?_

And when Arthur found the letter tucked into his bag, he was sure he was crying while he hastily wrote:

_Bloody idiot, don't ask such obvious things!_

* * *

**Fin.**

* * *

**A/N: **

** I'm sorry this wasn't quite as touchy feely as I had originally intended, but I've lost all sight of my depressing thoughts. I can't remember why I was so sad, actually (pretty sure that sounds familiar) but whatever. I'm very happy right now (for the most part, life is still life and life in general is an unhappy life unless you make the mo-know what, I'm getting off track. **

** But anyway, the reason I took so long to update- **

** I have never had such a killer headache. My headache lasted, disappeared, lasted, repeated, then eventually it turned into a migraine and I passed out like, twenty minutes before school. **

** So that plan was a bust but I feel better now! It's finally gone!**

** I still can't leave the house though. Or move too much. **

** But hey, it's still gone! **

** I really owe you guys for the hell I put you through.**


End file.
